Legendary Dutch footballer Ruud van Nistelrooy is currently serving as a studio analyst during ESPN’s month-long presentation of the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. Van Nistelrooy will appear on pre-match, halftime and post-match shows, SportsCenter and ESPN FC during the World Cup.
Ruud van Nistelrooy put on his analyst hat to describe what regime change will be like at Old Trafford once Louis van Gaal takes over. His Netherlands side takes on Mexico in the knockout round in Brazil in just a few hours.
“Everyone will know who is the boss,” he said. “He does everything himself. He has assistants but he does all the coaching – every session. He’s very hands on.
“He is a Sir Alex Ferguson-type character. It’s just what United need now. He’s a very good manager.”
From 1998-2010, van Nistelrooy was regarded as one of the best strikers in European football. In a career that spanned 19 years including five seasons at Manchester United and four with Real Madrid, he played on three football clubs that won at least one league title in three different leagues – Dutch Eredivisie, English Premier League and Spain’s La Liga. When Van Nistelrooy retired in 2011, he had scored 51 career UEFA Champions League goals, which ranked him second at the time amongst all goal scorers in the competition. (He has since been surpassed by Messi and Ronaldo and is currently ranked No. 4).
Paul M. Banks owns The Sports Bank.net, an affiliate of Fox Sports. He’s also a frequent guest on talk shows across the world. Banks has been featured in hundreds of media outlets including NFL.com, Forbes, Bleacher Report, Deadspin, ESPN, Washington Times, NBC and the History Channel. President Barack Obama follows him on Twitter (@paulmbanks)